This is why people are annoyed with politicians – commentary
Effective July 1st in Florida, anyone receiving public assistance (welfare) will be required to pass a drug-screening. Those that fail the drug test will not be eligible for public assistance for 1 year.
Today, the New York State Senate passed the Public Assistance Integrity Act. It’s purpose:
There are other such laws being contemplated and enacted across the country. With each one, the same comments are being made.
The arguement from the Left, such as from the ACLU on the Florida legislation is
In essence, drug/alcohol/gambling addicts have a Right to money from the taxes of working non-addicts, distributed by the State, because they ask for it. If you disagree, you are a evil person who hates the poor and support greedy corporations that forced the Government to bail them out. Yes, the ACLU blog article cited above does in fact state “Incidentally, you know who isn’t being asked to submit to drug testing before receiving public assistance? Bankers, traders and anyone who received money from the bailout.”
Taking this in order, from last to first, so banks that were required (in some cases) to accept funds from TARP – and over 60% have repaid the loan with interest – are wrong and deserve a drug test,
BUT
Unions that received a majority stake in GM and Chrysler in the Government bailout of the auto industry (who asked for a loan to avoid the need of a bailout previously and were denied as banks were forced to take the TARP) are good guys for taking the public funding and assistance.
Does that sound like cherrypicking? Especially if the money to the banks was doled out, without terms for repayment by politicians that rushed the legislation through without thinking of the consequences, to avert a national and international depression – as President Obama ascerted at the time and since. Either it was a bailout to save the nation, or everyone including unions and other pro-Democrat organizations were greedy leeches draining funding from the public pocket under the direction of the head of the Democrat Party.
Moving on, since when have addicts and those making concious and deliberate decisions as adults become more entitled to anything than any other citizen? At what point did TEMPORARY public assistance become a Right? Since when is it an obligation for taxpayers to carry the dregs of society on their backs and spoonfeed them?
It’s not like there aren’t programs explicitly for drug addicts, alcoholics, gamblers and the rest. It’s not like they were forced to take drugs or make a bet or take a drink. They made a decision, with all the facts and public announcements available in an age of internet on phones and computers as common as televisions (plus 500 channels to boot). Or does anyone believe someone in America is unaware of the negative effects of Crack?
More to the point, millions of Americans must take drug tests to get a job and get paid. Several jobs require routine and random drug tests. Those same people provide every dime of welfare that is provided via their taxes. Exactly how is being a crackhead, or a drunk ect., more important and beyond reproach than working everyday?
Which brings us to the last point of my commentary.
Why is it that politicians can’t figure out the obvious? They pass a law, often without reading the law (Rep. Conyers, we remeber), and down the road an obvious and completely expected outcome happens that the law either ignores or is able to be abused because of or harms the very people it is meant to help.
Case in point, Welfare is not new. People across the nation have been using it for decades. The State government has data literally miles long on what people have bought with welfare and where. But up until today in New York – with a vote of 56 to 3 – the concept of not paying for casino gambling or alcohol never crossed the minds of politicians. Which had to be mandated by the Federal Government for it to be brought up in the first place.
As for the 3 votes against, what is the argument for getting welfare cash in a strip club? Do they hope that a lottery winner will pay back into the system? Not unless you sue them apparently.
No wonder apathy is rampant when politics comes up. Considering the lackluster performances of politicians on both sides of the fence, and the routinely blatant gaps in logic in legislation, and the capitulation to special interest groups, is anyone surprised when the average person says all politicians are alike?
Am I glad these laws have been passed? Yes. But if politicians were really doing their jobs, they shouldn’t have to pass a fix-it law.
Sincerely
Michael Vass
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